


Cookie wonderland

by bea_weasley



Series: OTP Advent Calendar [8]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Muggle, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Lily baked too many cookies, OTP Advent Calendar, Remus is in awe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:48:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27956411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bea_weasley/pseuds/bea_weasley
Summary: Remus was intrigued by why his neighbour needed so much sugar in the past week. Lily just got carried away with how many cookies she was making
Relationships: Remus Lupin/Lily Evans Potter
Series: OTP Advent Calendar [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2032237
Kudos: 9





	Cookie wonderland

**Author's Note:**

> A Christmas story that took a turn that I wasn't expecting lol
> 
> Based on this prompt: This is the fourth time you’ve come to ask for sugar this week. How many cookies are you making? au

**_Cookie wonderland_ **

* * *

Remus Lupin loved to live in a small apartment building, just because when he needed help or a cup of sugar, he could always count on his neighbours to help him. Miss McGonagall from the first floor —  _ call me Minerva, dear, how many times do I have to tell you? Take a biscuit with you —  _ was always the one who helped him the most, especially that time when he somehow had locked himself out of his flat. 

They were like a little community since almost no one had moved to the building. The newest resident was a redhead who lived on the same floor as Remus, but he had almost never seen her… until Christmas season arrived. Remus had seen his neighbour —  _ I’m Lily Evans, by the way —  _ three times in a span of five days, and every time she knocked on his door was to ask for sugar. He didn’t understand why she was always asking for sugar; he didn’t think a single person could bake so many cookies like he felt she was baking. 

It wasn’t until the fourth time that he heard the familiar knock, which signalled that it was Lily again, that Remus thought about asking her about the amount of sugar she was always asking him for. 

“Hey, Remus!” Lily said in that same excited tone that she always spoke in. “I’m sorry to bother you again, but I got distracted and realized just now that I’m in need of some sugar... Can you help me again?” 

“Sure, Lily, but could you come in? I just need to save something on my laptop, and then I’ll give you the sugar,” Remus said, motioning for Lily to come inside his flat. She stood by the door, and after closing it behind her, Remus went back to his laptop; his work didn’t take long, and soon, Remus was back in his living-room only to find Lily looking around. 

“I’m sorry, Remus, I was just looking at your pictures,” she said, somewhat sheepish. “You didn’t put in any Christmas decorations yet?”

“No, I usually put them up in early December, because my parents come over and we decorate together before I go to their house,” Remus said, coming near her and pointing to a picture. “These are my parents, Hope and Lyall Lupin.”

“Wow, you look just like your mother, you know that?” Lily said, looking from the picture to Remus. 

“Yeah, everyone says that,” Remus said, scratching his neck, uncomfortable. “How much sugar do you need this time?”

“Oh, not much… Do you mind if I borrow a package?” Lily said, biting her lip, looking at her shoes. “I promise to return all the sugar that I borrowed this week, I just forget to go the market and—”

“Lily, breathe! It’s okay, don’t worry,” Remus said, chuckling a little at Lily’s reaction. “I’m just curious what you need so much sugar for. It’s, like, the fourth time you’ve come to ask for sugar this week.”

“It’s the  _ fourth _ time already?” Lily said, putting a hand over her mouth in shock. “I’m so sorry, Remus, I didn’t want to bother you. I just get a little crazy at this time of the year.”

“It’s okay, Lily, you don’t need to apologise,” Remus said, going to his kitchen and coming back with a package of sugar. “I hope this is what you need, and I don’t mind helping you any time you want.”

Lily took the package and stood there, staring at it. “You say you wanted to know what I’m doing with all this sugar, right? Do you think you have time now? I can show you.”

Remus nodded and followed Lily to her flat; when they entered, Remus’ sight was assaulted with the number of Christmas decorations Lily had put up in her flat. There were decorations everywhere. 

“You weren’t joking when you said you get a little crazy with this season, huh?” Remus chuckled, and Lily just shrugged. “These decorations are amazing, Lily and — Woah, that’s a life-sized Santa? That’s awesome!” 

“Christmas was always a big thing in my family,” Lily said, going to her kitchen and Remus quickly followed. He wasn’t surprised that everything was also decorated in there, but he was startled to see how many cookies Lily had already baked: he lost count around 100. 

“And baking is a big part of it?” Remus asked, nodding in the direction of the cookies. Lily smiled and nodded. “They look amazing, Lily, and can I say that they look really appetizing, too?”

“Have one, Remus, they are for eating, after all.” Lily was back in her element, and she grabbed an apron and put it on. 

“Don’t mind if I eat one… or three,” Remus mumbled under his breath, but he realized that Lily had heard him when she laughed. Remus bit into a cookie, and it was like all the flavours exploded in his mouth; it was  _ delicious _ ! “Oh, my God, Lily, this is amazing!”

“Thank you, I perfected this recipe years ago,” Lily said, adding the ingredients in a huge bowl. “The reason why I’m baking so many cookies is that I distribute them around: some are for our neighbours, some are for my parents’ Christmas dinner, but most of them are for the children’s hospital downtown.”

Remus stopped eating his fifth cookie and turned to look at Lily, seeing that she wasn’t looking at him. Her gaze was focused on the ingredients in front of her. Remus sensed that it had a story behind it, so he sat down on one of the chairs in the kitchen and waited. 

“When I was little, I got sick a lot, and one of the times, it was during Christmas,” Lily started, stopping to mix the ingredients and going to sit beside Remus. “One of our traditions was baking cookies together, but that year we couldn’t. But my mum still went and baked a lot of cookies, and she brought them to the hospital and we shared them with all the children there. So, after that year, we always bake cookies and share them with the children and staff at the hospital on Christmas. Just because I’m living alone, I didn’t think I needed to break our tradition.”

“This is amazing, Lily, and I admire you for doing this,” Remus said, taking one of her hands in his and waiting for her to look into his eyes before he continued speaking “What you’re doing is one of the most thoughtful things I’ve ever heard; my mum is a nurse in a children's ward, and she used to bring me there when I was little to distribute gifts. We still do this… Do you think I can tag along when you go give cookies this year?”

“I would love it if you come with me, Remus!” Lily said, smiling again, and it was impossible for Remus not to smile along with her. “I’ll bake this last batch before I start decorating… Do you want to help me?”

“I would be honoured, Lily, just tell me what to do.” Remus stood up, rolling up his sleeves, ready to start working. “You just need to tell me what to do.”

And Lily started to tell him what he could do to help her, and Remus was more than happy to help her do something nice for the sick children. He had never imagined that  _ this _ was why she needed so much sugar, but if this helped him get to know her better, it was his luck, right?


End file.
